Building Bridges
by clandestinedly
Summary: Slightly AU following the delivery of Allan's bike to the practice. - "I know that you still love him, and whether that's right or wrong is debatable. But the reality is, that he isn't good enough for you, and decided to swap his steak for a banana," he says with a shrug. "And who gives up steak for fruit! And not just any fruit...rotten fruit."


Just a little slightly AU one-shot following the the delivery of Allan's bike to the practice, and how Violet tries to heal herself following her break-up.

* * *

"It's okay for you to miss him," Cooper says softly, as he stares at her best friend from the couch in her office. Violet sits stoically behind her desk, hiding behind the computer as she tries her best not to stare at the bicycle that had been delivered only two hours previously. Violet had completely forgotten that she had ordered the mountain bike as a gift for her now ex-boyfriend. It had been on order for nearly eight months while it was being custom built, tailored to Allan's measurements and specifications. It was meant to be a surprise for his birthday, which was quickly approaching.

"You two were in a solid, long-term relationship, Vi," Cooper says, as he looks at the bike, before staring sympathetically at the curly-haired brunette. "You're allowed to grieve for your relationship."

"I'm not grieving for anything," Violet says, tapping at the keys on her keyboard. Her eyes dart up at the bike, before she shakes her head and returns to her work, opening the manilla file besides the large double mocha Cooper had brought her as an olive branch. This wasn't something Violet wanted to talk about. The coffee made the conversation sweeter, but even the thought of Allan and his new wife was enough for her to want to go psycho and destroy everything in her office.

"You know you can talk to me, Vi. I'm your best friend," Cooper says, shifting in the sofa. "I've always got your back," he adds quickly. Violet shakes her head. Once the vault of Allan is opened, it would consume her for days and nights, torturing her as she tries to figure out what she did wrong in the relationship. How did a man she had been in love with for nearly three years suddenly decide that she wasn't the love of his life anymore?

When they had first broken up, she had decided it was because she had curly hair. Numerous trips to the salon left Violet Turner with a chemically straightened head of hair, which she had pondered dying blonde, when she had finally met Allan's new wife. She was stick thin, with big tits and blonde hair. Violet had returned home and stared at herself in the mirror for nearly an hour, wondering if she should have some kind of liposuction, or go on some radical diet to get to the same size as her before she had ended up eating a tube of cookie dough from the back of the freezer and sobbing at an old romantic film that was showing on the television.

First there was the paleo diet. Consisting on the theory that you should only consume foods that could be 'hunted', basically if a caveman couldn't have eaten it, then neither could you. That didn't work out - her love of fried chicken and greasy foods won out after day two. Then there was the thirty day juice cleanse. Violet was actually doing well on that diet, but by day twelve, Charlotte had suggested she make the smoothie for their evening meal and had added vodka and martini. A few of those, led to the two of them craving a hamburger and some fries, so that diet lost out too.

Perhaps it wasn't the diet, Violet had mused. Sure, she had dropped twelve pounds, but she still felt like shit. So the wardrobe was the next to take a beating. Maxing two credit cards, she had taken Addison shopping with her, buying out half of melrose in the hopes that Allan would catch her in something new.

"You shouldn't have to change who you are for a man, Violet," Addison had quipped, once she had learnt the real reason for their shopping trip. Violet had shrugged it off, letting her emotions getting the better of her as she packed the cab of the taxi with her new clothes.

Her rational, trained brain knew what she was doing wasn't cohesive to her health - physically or mentally. During the day, at work she was able to focus on her patients and her colleagues. Engaging in small chit-chat over a coffee or a yoghurt helped. It was at night that she let her demons get the better of her. When she would lay in her double bed, her arm sweeping across the covers to the pillow Allan used to use, that she would eventually let herself break and she would cry.

Then the bike had arrived, with it's loud orange handles shouting it's presence through the office. Violet had wheeled it into her office, before shutting the door and sitting behind her desk, just staring at it.

"How about I come over tonight, and we can eat dirty, fried food and watch the American Bake Off until we fall asleep on the sofa and wake up tomorrow, cursing ourselves for being so pitiful?" Cooper laughs, trying to appeal to Violet's better nature.

"You really don't have to," Violet says, sitting back in her chair with a sigh. "Really Coop, I'm fine," she says, stubborn as ever. It would take a lot to get Violet to open up, and it was usually a chore, but once the door had been left open a crack, she was an open book.

"Wow, you really aren't over Allan if you're turning American Bake Off down," Cooper says, before standing up and walking across the room to Violet. He takes her hand, an drags her to her feet, causing Violet to roll her eyes and sigh.

As soon as she is on her feet, he walks over to the bike and takes it by the handles, wheeling it out towards the door. Violet suddenly springs into life, her eyes widening as she watches him move the last object that leaves her with a tie to Allan. "What are you doing with that? Put it back, Cooper," she says, lunging forward.

"Nope," he says, before opening the office door and manouvering the bike out of her office, before wheeling it down to the elevator, where he pushes the call button. Violet is quickly behind him, as if he is trying to take her child from her.

"Cooper, I'm serious! Leave that alone!" Violet practically shrieks, as she grabs his arm and tugs him back from the elevator.

"I'm not leaving you to wallow in a pool of self-pity, over your scumbag ex-boyfriend who cheated on you and tore your heart to shreds," Cooper says, as he looks at Violet. "Look at you! You're a shadow of yourself. I want my best friend back, not someone who locks herself away at home, fasting herself for some guy who doesn't deserve your breath," Cooper says, as the elevator dings and the doors open. He wheels the bike inside, and waits for Violet, who is standing in stunned silence, wrapping her arms around herself.

"Now get in the elevator, so we can burn the rest of your demons before we go and get drunk and forget about him finally," Cooper nods, holding the doors open for her. Violet knows that he is right. More than one occasion had taught her to listen to her best friend, but this was just a chapter of her life she wasn't ready to let go of yet.

"Look," Cooper says, as if he knows exactly what is running through Violet's mind. He practically does, they are that close. "I know that you still love him, and whether that's right or wrong is debatable. But the reality is, that he isn't good enough for you, and decided to swap his steak for a banana," he says with a shrug. "And who gives up steak for fruit?! And not just any fruit..._rotten_ fruit," he adds, causing Violet to burst out into laughter for the first time in days.

She shakes her head, nodding finally as she steps into the elevator with Cooper. He pushes the ground floor button before taking her hand. "It will all be okay, I promise," he tells her. "It may not seem like it right now, Vi. But you have me, and Charlotte, and your family here at the practice. We're all behind you," he nods, kissing her forehead quickly before the doors open.

Violet listens to him carefully, and Cooper is right. Why should she waste time missing, or pining over a guy who has deemed that she isn't good enough? Nobody should decide that anybody isn't good enough. If he wasn't happy in their relationship, he should've just had the balls to say it and end it respectfully, like any decent human being. "Thanks, Coop," she says, with a smile. "I don't know where I'd be without you," she admits, as she takes the bike in her hands, choosing to wheel it out of the elevator herself.

"Eating a tube of cookie dough in three day old pajamas, without having showered probably," he shrugs and she swats his shoulder playfully.

"I would've at least showered!" Violet laughs, somewhat offended by his lack of faith in her hygeine.

"I dunno. Charlotte told me you were smelling pretty bad when she came over for those cocktails," Cooper winks as he looks at Violet, quietly proud of her for pushing the bike out of the practice herself. "What are you gonna do with that?" He asks, nodding to the bike as they make their way down the sidewalk.

"I'm sure there'll be some charity shop that'll take it, right?" She asks, turning her head to Cooper, stopping to shield her eyes from the bright sunlight.

"Oh yeah, and I'm sure he'll find it in a couple of days, seeing as how he likes to pick up charity cases," Cooper smirks, as he wraps his arm around Violet supportively. "You're gonna be alright, Vi. It will take time, but I guarantee in a week or two, you won't even be thinking about him anymore."

Violet nods, as they continue to walk down the street. "You think so?"

"I know so," he answers, affirmatively. "And if you do, I'll just kick your ass," he says, seriously.


End file.
